title: Phase diagrams of lipid mixtures relevant to the study of membrane rafts.
abstract: The present paper reviews the phase properties of phosphatidylcholine-sphingomyelin-cholesterol mixtures, that are often used as models for membrane "raft" microdomains. The available data based on X-ray, microscopic and spectroscopic observations, surface pressure and calorimetric measurements, and detergent solubilization assays, are critically evaluated and rationalized in terms of triangular phase diagrams. The remaining uncertainties are discussed specifically and separately from the data on which a consensus appears to exist.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Biofísica (Centro Mixto CSIC-UPV/EHU), and Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidad del País Vasco, P.O. Box 644, 48080 Bilbao, Spain. felix.goni@ehu.es
authors.forename: Félix M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Goñi
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alonso
authors.forename: Luis A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Bagatolli
authors.forename: Rhoderick E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Derek
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Marsh
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Prieto
authors.forename: Jenifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Thewalt
mesh_terms: D002784:Cholesterol / Q000737:chemistry*; D045424:Complex Mixtures / Q000737:chemistry*; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000737:chemistry*; D021962:Membrane Microdomains / Q000737:chemistry*; D044367:Phase Transition; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000737:chemistry*; D013109:Sphingomyelins / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D045424:Complex Mixtures; D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D013109:Sphingomyelins; D002784:Cholesterol